Whirling device for plates with light-sensitive layers



Oct. 20,1925.

L. MUELLER WHIRLING DEVICE FOR PLATES WITH LIGHT SENSITIVE LAYERS ATIOHNE Yul Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.nours MUELLER, or nnnnm-iaaunsoiiumnwne. GERMAN-Y, AssIGNo'R T0 Anonr .HAMM & so, or" DUSSELDOBF, eEni'vrAnY.-

WHIRLING nnvrcn F03 rnn'rns wiwn LIGHT-SENSITIVE LAYERS.

Application filed March s, was. Serial No. 697,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS MUnLnnn, merchant, citizen of ermany, residing at Berlin-l3aumschulenweg in Prussia, Gere many have invented new and useful Improvements in a WVhirling Device for Plates with Light-Sensitive Layers, of which the following is a specification.

In the whirling devices of known type for the uniform distribution and drying of liglit sensitive layers on plates by centrifugal action the platesof glass, metal or other material are clamped above a rotatable cross by means of holders adjustable on the arms of the cross in such a manner that each holder grips the plate at the middle of the one sideedge. The apparatus of this known type require therefore four separate plate holderswhich have to be adjusted separately. The insertion and removal of the plate demands consequently much time and is rather difiicult. It has already been-proposed to make the holders grip and hold the plates only at two. opposite side edgesibut in this case there is always the danger that under the action of the centrifugal force the plate itself is thrown out of, the holder and destroyed.

The presentinvention has for its object to create a device which permits of: a rapid clamping and releasing of the plate which is nevertheless held quite. securely. With this object in view the" holders grip and hold the plate at two diago'nallyopposite corners so that a throwing of the plate out of the holders is impossible even when only two holders are provided. The arrangement is preferably of such a kind that two holders mounted in one guide fraine grip and hold the plates athwart. The inserting and releasing of the plates is thusfacilita ted and the possibility is obtained to combine the holders of every pair of holders to avertical wire loop or wire ring into which the one corner of the plate can be inserted from the side and in which theplate is held by con tact merely at the edges of the plate. The one or both blocks or slides which carry the pairs of holders may be fitted with springs which tend to pull the same towards the pivot axis of the'device: and to ensure there: by automatically the clamping of the plate in the device. 1

Two embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example on the accompanying drawing in which: i

Fig. 1 shows in sideelevation the one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section, one of the slidable blocks being shown in front elevation.

Fig; 4 is aplan view of the second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5, is a cross section of the device shown in Fig. 4, one of the slidable blocks being shown in front elevation.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to3 the guide arms 2' made from thick-wire bent .double extend opposite one another, radially from the vertical shaft 1 of the device. Two slidable blocks are mounted on theguide. arms 2, one on each side ofthe shaft 1. The one of these slidable blocks is composed of two jaws13 and 4 which embrace the guide arm 2 and are tightly pressed on the same by a. clamping screw 5. Onthe upper j awv 3 of this slidabl'e block a vertical ring or loop 6 of wire is fixed, This ring or loop 6 is preferably slightly bent an'gu'larl'y at two opposite points 7 so that at each of these points an angle is formed. which serves for holding one of the edges of'tlie plate. a

The other slidable block 8 is loosely and slidably mounted ont'he guide arm 2', and it also carries an upright wire ring or loop 6*. Between this slidable block 8 and the central beam of rotatable arms mounted on shaft 1 a spring; 9fis arranged which hasthe tendency to pull the slidable block 8 towards the centre. This spring might be adjustably arranged if desired so that it may be adapted to very different .sizes of plates and the same device may be used forthe whirling and drying of photographic plates and the like of strongly different sizes.

To insert the plate 10 tobe whirled into the device the slidable block 8 is pulled outward against the action of spring 9,wl1ereupon. one of the corners of plate 10 is inserted from the centre into the loop or ring 6 of the block 3, 4. The slidable block 8 is then released so that its loop or ring 6 gets over the opposite corner of the plate 10, this plate being thus securely held at two opposite corners as shown in Fig. 2, the angles 7 of the loops 6 and 6 touching the plate only at its edges. It is obvious that the holders do not in the least impede the casting away of the light sensitive mass in excess and as the plate also is not in touch with the holders at'the lower side of the plate, the sensitive layer is quite uniformly dried by the usual heating from below during the whirling of the plate. The result is that a plate treated in this device may be exposed up to its outer edges.

It will be clear from the above description how simply, asily and rapidly the clamping of the plate in the device and the removing therefrom may be performed. The block 3, 4 needs to be adjusted on its guide arms 2 only when plates of another size are to be treated on the device. In this case an adjusting of the block 8, 4 is advisable in order to be able to arrange the plate to be treated centrally to the shaft 1. In the devices of known type in which the plate is gripped at four points of the edges four slidable blocks had to be displaced and to be fixed by tightening the screws or to be released by loosening the screws.

Theslidable block 8, 4 might however be arranged in a similar manner as the slidable block 8 so that its position is controlled by a spring. Handles might be arranged in the slidable blocks to facilitate the movement of the blocks in outward direction against the action of the springs.

The second form of construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 differs from that shown in Figs. 13 in that for each of the wire loops or rings 6 and 6 two transverse arms 11 are substituted which are mounted in the slidable blocks 3 and 8 respectively. These transverse arms 11 are bent at their ends up wardly so that bearing angles 12 and 12 (Fig. 5) are formed which are designed to hold the plates 10 at their edges without touching the surfaces of the plates.

Owing to these arms 11 the device may be used for very large-sized plates which require to be supported at points of the edges which are at a great distance from one another.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,

I declare that what I claim is 1. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having'a vertical shaft to be revolved, arms fixed to said shaft and blocks arranged on said arms, holders for the plates arranged on said blocks in such a manner that they will grip and hold the plates from two diagonally opposite corners thereof.

2. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having a vertical shaft, two guide arms fixed on opposite sides of said shaft and slidable blocks arranged on sa1d guide arms, a pair of holding arms for the plates fixed on each of said slidable bloclrs in such a manner that each pair of holding arms may grisp the plate across one corner thereof.

3. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having a vertical shaft, two guide arms fixed on opposite sides of said shaft and slidable blocks arranged on sa1d guide arms, a pair of holding arms for the plates fixed on each of said slidable blocks in such a manner that each pair of holders may grisp the plate across one corner thereof, said holding arms for the plates being formed from angularly bent wire vertically arranged on said blocks.

4. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having a vertical shaft, two guide arms fixed on opposite sides of said shaft and slidable blocks arranged on said guide arms, a pair of holding-arms arranged on each of said slidable blocks for grisping and holding one corner of the plate, each of said pairs of holding arms being formed by a single piece of wire, said piece of wire being bent in the form of a loop.

5. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having a vertical shaft, two guide arms fixed on opposite sides of said shaft and slidable blocks arranged on said guide arms, a pair of holding arms for the plates fixed on each of said slidable blocks in such a manner that each pair of holding arms may grisp the plate across one corner thereof, said holding arms for the plates being formed from angularly bent wire vertically arranged on said blocks, a spring member connected with at least one of said pairs of holding arms, said spring member tending to draw said pair of holding arms with their slidable block in the direction to th centre shaft.

6. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having a vertical shaft, two guide arms fixed on opposite sides of said shaft and slidable blocks arranged on said guide arms, a pair of holding arms for the plates fixed on each of said slidable blocks in such a manner that each pair of holding arms may grisp the plate across one corner thereof, said holding arms for the plates being formed from wire, said wire being angularly bent and arranged verticallv on said slidable blocks, a spring tending to draw at least one pair of said holding arms with their slidable block in the direction to the revoluble vertical shaft.

7. A whirling device for plates with lightsensitive layers for equally distributing and drying said layers having a vertical shaft, two guide arms fixed on opposite sides of said shaft and slidable blocks arranged on said guide arms, one of said slidable blocks being adjustable, a pair ofholding arms for 10 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand.

LOUIS MUELLER. 

